Our thing is tea – Kevin’s tea moment

Hello, my name is Kevin Sardino. I am supporting R&D as the newest member
of the Tea Expertise Team.

I began my tea journey in the late 90’s, when a friend invited me to
his warehouse to drink some tea. I had never had Pi Lo Chun before and was
intrigued to try it. This started my love affair with tea. Soon after, that
friend hired me, and I became Rishi Tea’s first employee. I immediately began
working on recipe development, creating scores of blends – some of them award
winning – for Rishi branded and private label companies over my 14 years there.

I relocated to Seattle in 2012 to continue my journey. At Starbucks, I
was solely responsible for all tea product development for Tazo and Teavana,
working across all formats: K-Cup, iced tea, hot tea, hand-crafted and RTD
products. Now, I’m in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey ready to bring my
years of experience and passion to the Pepsi/Lipton joint venture. I am working
closely with the R&D team, helping to continue the great and innovative
foundation they’ve laid for the Pure Leaf and Tea House Collections brands.

Please be on the lookout for an invitation to explore the Magic of Tea
portal. We will watch and review together, and there will be fun, interactive
sessions, as well. The Magic of Tea is a great introduction that will hopefully
stir a desire in you to start, or further, your own personal tea journey.

Tea, with its myriad of origins and options, can feel daunting. The
Magic of Tea, along with whatever help I can lend, should make exploring tea
much more approachable, and fun!